Local Resources

Facebook Groups to Join 

• Sustainable Ridgewood  (13yrs and up) 
• Ridgewood Walks and Ridgewood Talks  
• Glen Rock Composting and Gardening  
• Buy Nothing Ridgewood (North) or Buy Nothing Ridgewood (South)  

Backyard Composting and Gardening 

Although Ridgewood doesn’t yet offer a municipal composting service, you have three alternatives:  

1. Backyard compost – free 

2. Locate the closest compost drop-off facility near you through this website.  

3. Pay for a compost-pick up service.   

Neighborhood Compost  will pick up household compost on a regular basis;  

Java’s Compost can be hired for special events compost pick-up.  

If you want to start backyard composting yourself, Bergen County Utilities Authority offers a discounted composter (the “Earth Machine”), which you can purchase here.   

If you are new to composting and vegetable gardening or keen to learn more, the Glen Rock Environmental Commission (GREC) has created this two-part series:  

Part 1: Composting 101. https://vimeo.com/415165892/31c6b79f74  

Part 2: Veg Gardening 101. https://vimeo.com/425885994/34ea641d08  

You can find more information about how to have an environmentally friendly yard in Jersey here 

Events and Programs  

The Glen Rock Plant Exchange is taking place in March 2021 (beginners welcome!). Sign up here. 

The GR Environmental Commission will be pairing up compost mentors and mentees via our new Compost Mentorship Program. For more information or to sign up visit, https://forms.gle/XHeuNohocppeJJid6 

Recycling 

Styrofoam is not recycled curbside, but you can take your Styrofoam to a local drive. The next two local Styrofoam Drives are as follows: 

Hillside on Dec 26^th  

Fair Lawn on Jan 2^nd    

Ethical and Organic Meat and Dairy Delivery  

To learn more about sustainability and meat, look to our “16 ways to kick-start sustainability“.  

If you are going to eat meat, it’s better to eat less, and eat quality. For meat delivery in Ridgewood, we recommend:  

Cairncrest Farm  (NY farm; chickens, beef, pork, lamb) 

Butcher Box   

Crowd Cow (more expensive)  

For organic milk, we recommend: http://organicmilkcorp.com/. 

Renewable Energy Suppliers  

Anyone can shop for a new energy supplier in New Jersey. You can read about how to go about it here: https://www.nj.gov/bpu/commercial/shopping.html  

• Inspire  
• Arcadia   
• NJ Renewable Energy  
• Local Geothermal Start-up – Dandelion 

Beekeeping and Chicken Rearing  

You can rent backyard chickens in Ridgewood through http://rentacoup.com/. 

If you are interested in bees, you can read more about keeping them on Rutgers: http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/programs/beekeeping.html 

You can also find information about local beekeepers, from one of Ridgewood’s own here: https://frankthebeeman.com/  

Sustainable Clothing 

These non-profit advocacy organization are involved in the fight against fast fashion. Read about their work below:  

• https://cleanclothes.org/  
• https://www.fashionrevolution.org/  
• https://labourbehindthelabel.org/  

You can search a directory of brands and find out information about their ethics and sustainability rating here:  https://directory.remake.world/ 

You can learn how to upcycle (fix or transform old clothing instead of disposing of it to reduce waste) here 

Finally, for those podcast fanatics out there, we recommend the “Wardrobe Crisis with Claire Press” which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. This is the link for Apple podcasts.  

Clothing Donations and Consignment Stores 

• Fabulous Finds NJ.    (high-end second-hand clothing: buy or sell your old clothes)  
• The Wyckoff PTO Economy Shop.    (popular consignment store; accepts donations) 
• Round2Resources.    (links your donations to the organizations that need them)    
• CUMAC.   (973) 742 5518.    Addr. 223 Ellison St Paterson. 
• Touched by an Angel.   (201) 988 8518. 
• Oasis (women and children).    (973) 881 8307. 
• Center for Hope & Safety.    (201) 498 9247.  
• Transition Prof (men’s only).    (201) 883 9360.  
• Big Brother Big Sister.    (973) 970 9231.  
• Women’s Rights Center (gently used).    (201) 568 1166.  
• Past or Present.     (201) 784 7441. 
• Community Thrift.     201-652-7661.    (Midland Pk).  
• Salvation Army.     (201) 342 6531.  
• Vietnam Vets.      (800) 775 8387. 
• Good Will.       (201) 358 5154  or  (973) 481 2300. 

Household, Food and Furniture Donations  

Furniture  

• Habitat for Humanity.    (201) 500 5009.    located in Westwood. 
• Round 2 Resources.     [email protected]  
• Catholic Charities.    [email protected] 
• Making it Home.    Tim Franco.    (201) 289 8444.   
• St Francis Closet, Church of the Nativity.    Tia Patterson  or  (201) 519 8456. 

Diapers/Formula/Baby Clothes 

• Baby Basics.    (201) 261 2800.    (new clothes only) 
• CarePlus/Healthy Families.    (201) 986 5015.  
• Birthright Maywood.    (201) 845 4646. 

Food Assistance and Donations  

• Center for Food Action (food assistance).    (201) 569 1804. 
• Table to Table (commercially prepared only).    (201) 444 5500. 
• Local Paid Fire Stations (commercially prepared only).     
• NJ Buddies Food Bank (HIV/Aids).    (201) 489 2900. 
• SSA, Ridgewood.     (201) 444 2980.  
• CUMAC.    (973) 742 5518.    Addr. 223 Ellison St Paterson. 

General Resources on Sustainability  

• Sustainability Resource Hub – https://srhub.org/category/new-jersey/bergen/  
• Sustainable Lifestyle Consultancy:  https://www.greenthishome.com/  
• Glen Rock Environmental Commission (GREC) – https://glenrocknj.net/GREC  
• Sustainable Jersey – https://www.sustainablejersey.com/  
• Sustainable Jersey for Schools – https://www.sustainablejerseyschools.com/  
• Green Ridgewood Committee – (Ridgewood Green Team) 
• Ridgewood Green Team   
• Village of Ridgewood: Green Team Advisory Committee